Bottle closure



Qct. 22, 1935. A. BERGER 2,017,933

BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed Oct. 8, 1954 nventor NDRl-:w BERGER Gttorneg Patented Oct. 22, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to bottle closures and more particularly to closures which will protect the producer or manufacturer of the contents.

It is well known that bottles containing chemicals, beverages, perfumery and drugs, used commercially, and which bear labels, symbols and trade-marks of manufacturers to designate origin and excellence in quality of the product, are often refilled with cheap and inferior ingredients and sold, these imitations operating to deceive the public and injuring the business of the original producer.

The object of the invention therefore, is to provide a bottle, jug or other receptacle which will permit removal of the contents but will prevent refilling and will prevent use of the bottle commercially, after the contents have been removed.

It is an object to provide a bottle closure which may be manufactured practically and at a limited 20, cost, will be convenient in use, and will furnish absolute protection to a producer of chemicals, beverages or other liquid preparations, so that his bottles or other containers will not be refilled with spurious ingredients and sold commercially.

With the foregoing objects in view the invention consists of the new and useful features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts calculated to attain said objects, and as described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the drawing, it being understood that changes may be made in size, proportions and minor details, said changes being within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view of the device in longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a side view of a cork.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the neck of a bottle and cork on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bottom of the cork.

Referring now to the drawing for a mo-re particular description, the invention is shown and described in connection with the rectilinear neck 5 of a bottle preferably constructed of glass or other frangible material, and in order that the objects may be attained as first mentioned I provide a rectilinear cork 6 preferably having a diameter corresponding to the bore of the neck 5, said cork having a chamber I adapted to contain a ball-valve 8 adapted to engage the Valveseat 9, other parts of the 'cork consisting of an inclined passageway I0 leading from the chamber 'I to a spillway II near the upper end of the cork, an annular stop-member or ridge or flange I2 being provided for the periphery of the cork near its upper end and having a flat base adapted (Cl. 21S-21) to have a seat on a flat ledge I3 which is formed in the upper part of the neck.

Numeral I4 indicates a screw-cap which may be mounted on the top of the cork, threads I5 (Fig. 2) being shown for this mounting.

Numeral I6 indicates a plurality of ridges which are provided for the wall of the chamber l. They are disposed longitudinally of the neck and extend from the partition Il toward the valve seat, and at I 8 is indicated a projection or stop-member 10 which extends downwardly from the partition IT into the chamber 1 centrally thereof, and at I9 is indicated a pocket which is disposed in line with the passageway I0 in the wall of the cork.

The parts thus described may be used as a 15 bottle closure to prevent refilling of the bottle, and in operation, after the bottle has been filled the cork is inserted and the screw-cap is applied to the top of the cork.

. After removing the screw-cap the liquid may 20 be poured or emptied in the usual manner. When the bottle is moved to inclined position the valve will move from its seat, the liquid moving through the chamber 1, the passageway I0 and spillway I I. 'I'he ball-valve 8 may move on the ridges I6 and 25 may engage the stop-member I8 which will prevent the ball-valve from obstructing the lower end of the passageway Ill, and when the ballvalve slides or rolls on the ridges I6 it is obvious that the grooves between the ridges will permit a 30 movement of liquid from the valve-seat to the passageway I0, said valve being no material o-bstruction, and` permitting said movement of the liquid without causing the objectionable gurgling noise sometimes caused by too closely con- 35 fined liquids while moving outwardly from a bottle.

The ball-valve may be constructed of any suitable material and on account of gravity will normally remain on its seat. .The cork is prefer- 40 ably constructed of galvanized rubber, and since it has a quality of limited elasticity, the ballvalve may be pressed upwardly into the chamber 1 to its normal position without injury to the valve-seat. 45

Since the valve normally remains on its seat relling wlll be prevented, and an attempt to dislodge the valve from its seat by inserting some kind of tool, such as a wire downwardly through the passageway I0 will be prevented since the 50 pocket I9 is intended, in such instances, to receive the end of such tool and prevent a further movement thereof toward said valve.

As an additional feature of protection and to prevent a second use of the bottle commercially 55 after the contents have been removed, parts'are used for sealing the neck in such a manner thatV the screw-cap Ill cannot be removed until the bottle has been disfigured and changed in appearance in a degree suicient to prevent deception.

This additional protection consists simply of a cement sealing-member 2Q having the form of a cap adapted to ll an annular recess 2| provided by an annular curved extension 22 of the neck of the bottle at the upper end thereof, said annuar recess being of such form that the cement cannot be removed or detached without breakage of the extension 22. Said extension is provided with a weakline 23 disposed in a plane approximately in line and adjacent to the at surface of the ledge I3, and by use of a suitl able tool, such as a small hammer, the extension 2i together with the cap Zi may be readily removed, the result being that the appearance of the bottle will be changed, and fraud would be disclosed if an attempt was made to use the bottle a second time.

The cement is used when in a plastic condition but soon becomes hard, and when the glass flange or extension is separated from the neck 5 at said weakline 23 the screw-cap i4 will be accessible for removal.

Numeral 2S indicates the material which may bear the label of the manufacturer of the contents. This label is generally printed on a flexible strip, such as tinfoil, and it covers a part of the neck and the extension 22 of said neck, and when the glass extension is removed the label will be torn and changed in appearance, and if revenue stamps are attached to the cement cap they will become cancelled or torn in like manner. Y

The cork together with its annual ridge or flange I 2 are secured stationary in the neck of the bottle preferably by use of cement. The aperture at the lower end of the hollow cork is of flaring form as indicated at its outwardly divergent Vwall extending uniformly from the valve seat tothe bottom of the cork at the outer surface thereof, so that the entire contents of the receptacle may be emptied, and that Vibration of the liquid and resulting gurgling sounds may be avoided.

I claim as my invention:-

l. In a closure for a bottle having a rectilinear neck provided with a at annular ledge, a curved terminal wall forming an annular recess outwardly of and above said ledge and provided with a weakline, a rectilinear'stopper snugly fittingI in said neck and having a valve-controlled passageway extending therethrough, an annular flange having a flat base for a seating on said ledge and having a threaded part outwardly of said flange, a cap engaging the threaded part of the stopper, and a sealing element in said recess engaging said flange and covering said cap.

2. In a closure for a bottle having a neck provided with a flat annular ledge, a curved terminal wall forming an annular recess outwardly of and above the ledge and provided with an annular weakline disposed in a plane approximately in line with the flat surface of said ledge, a stopper fitting snugly in said neck and having a valve-controlled passageway extending therethrough, an annular flange having a flat base for engaging said ledge, a screw-cap mounted on said stopper, and a sealing element in said recess engaging said flange and covering said screwcap.

3. In a closure for a receptacle having a rectilinear tubular neck provided with a at ledge and aV curved extension terminating beyond said ledge providing an annular recess, a rectilinear stopper having a valve-controlled passageway and provided between its ends with an annular flange having a flat base, said stopper being disposed within the neck with its ange engaging the ledge thereof, a cap covering the passageway of said stopper, and a sealing-element in said recess engaging said flange and covering said cap.

ANDREW BERGER. 

